Fragile
by Blue Deity
Summary: Maya is so delicate and Phoenix refuses to do anything that could possibly hurt her, but by protecting her, he might hurt her all the same. My very first online fic. Edited to make it easier to read.


**Disclaimer:** I guess this is the part where I make it clear that I do not own the Ace Attorney Series or anything related to it. Ownership goes to Capcom.

**Notes:**My first entry to . Never actually played any of the games, so I'm not really familiar with the chronological order of everything , only what I've been able to piece together so I've been pretty vague on the specifics. Could take place anytime after the Enguarde trial. Anyway, enjoy and review if you feel like it.

_**Fragile**_

He was an affectionate man, he always had been. He enjoyed showing this affection to the people who were important to him with hugs, tight hugs. It may have been unbecoming for a professional lawyer to express himself so, but Phoenix Wright didn't wish to change this single aspect of his personality that he still had in common with the young man that Iris had lovingly referred to as 'Feenie'. He hugged everyone, his family, his friends, even his clients after he successfully defended them. Miles Edgeworth would call it 'childish' and 'unsightly', but the world, especially the legal world, was cold and Phoenix believed that there was nothing wrong with showing a bit of warmth. That is to everyone but one Maya Fey. His mentor's younger sister, Phoenix had become sort of an older brother to Maya since her sister's untimely death and he loved her dearly. Perhaps it was even more than brotherly love, he wasn't sure. One thing he did know, he couldn't bring himself to hug her like he did others, a light pat on the head was the best he could do. She was so small, so frail, he was afraid to hurt her. Phoenix was not a large man, but Maya didn't even reach his shoulder. When he looked at her he saw a young woman that was made of porcelain, one wrong move, one misstep, and she'd break and he knew that that would be the utter end of him. Maybe this is why she had him wrapped around her finger so. Why he couldn't bring himself to deny her even the most frivolous of worldly pleasures, even if it devastated his wallet. Be it her fifth triple cheeseburger in two days or a DVD of a show she already had memorised, all she needed to do was look at him, or say those magic words: "But Nick, I want it." and he would give in. Her delicacy made anything that could cause her pain incomprehensible to him. The thought of tears in her brown eyes wrenched at his soul to the point he wanted to vomit. To Phoenix, Maya was an aspect of his life to see, to talk to, to laugh with, to pamper, to love, to protect, but never to touch.

This isn't to say that Phoenix believed Maya to be weak. Certainly not, in truth, she was one of the strongest people he had ever met. Maya had been through so much in her life already. Her mother abandoning her, constant berating from the elders of Kurain and her aunt Morgan. Being the one to discover her sister's body after she had been murdered and then being accused of killing her. That was how he had met her, Maya was in tears then and it was a long time before he would see her smile. Then being accused of murder yet again and being kidnapped and locked away by the assassin DeKiller at the behest of that worm Enguarde, all as a plot to force Phoenix to defend the latter in court, though it was clear he was as guilty as sin. All of it together would have been enough to make someone four times her age crack, it had certainly taken a toll on him. But through it all Maya remained Maya, she didn't break. She was certainly stronger than him.

His resolve to keep her at arms length cracked that day, when Dick Gumshoe and Franziska von Karma brought her into the courtroom, safe from DeKiller and safe from Enguarde. She ran to him as soon as she saw, her arms outstretched. Overcome with emotion and the relief of seeing her again, he leapt over the defense bench and wrapped his arms around her, her delicacy was of no concern as he pressed her as tight against himself as he could. The way he felt then and there, it was physically impossible to get as close to her as he wanted. He could feel the tears from her eyes staining his blue suit as he pressed her closer and closer until he heard her yelp. Quickly pulling away, he looked down at her, he must of squeezed her too tight; he had hurt her. Turning away from her in shame, he mentally swore on himself and made an oath that he would never do such a thing again. Then, turning then to the task at hand, directed all his pain to Matt Enguarde, and along with his friend Edgeworth, who was prosecuting the case, sent the lying, sniveling scum up the river. No earthly punishment was enough for the one that had used Maya's life as a bargaining chip.

After, they had a small party back at the office to celebrate Maya's return. True to character, she was already back to her upbeat self, laughing with Gumshoe and playing with her young cousin Pearl. At then end of the night, everyone began to pile out and Maya gave them each a warm hug, a gesture that not even the icy Franziska could help but smile at. Once everyone was gone, Maya had turned to him, arms outstretched with a sweet smile on her face. Phoenix reached out his hand and patted her on the head, then, not even noticing the surprised look on her face, he said goodnight and went to bed. "God, it's good to have her back."

* * *

Awhile later, Phoenix and Maya had just returned home form visiting Iris. Before they left, Phoenix had made it a point to give Iris one of his trademark hugs. He sighed as he slid off his shoes and took off his coat. He plunked himself down behind his desk and started to go through some paperwork, he didn't notice his diminutive assistant glaring at him.

"Say Maya, could you put on some tea, please?" He asked, not looking up from his work. Without a word, he heard her go into the kitchen. A few minutes later, the water was boiled and she came back, laying a cup on his desk. "Thank you." He said and took a small sip. "Hey, you want to go get some burgers for dinner later? My treat." He smiled.

"No thanks." She said.

"Really? You've never turned down free burgers before." He looked at her for the first time since they got home, she had her arms crossed and looked quite upset. "M-Maya, there something wrong?"

"You're darn right there is!" She shouted, slamming her small hands on the desk, causing Phoenix's tea to spill over the rim of the cup. Realising her outburst, Maya turned her back on him and cradled herself.

"Wha-What's the matter Maya, did I do something?" He stammered and stood.

"Nick, a-am I your friend?" she asked, keeping her back to him.

"What?"

"Am-am I your friend? O-Or am I just your assistant?"

"You're my friend of course." He said with a weak smile. He didn't know where she was going with this.

"Do you care about me?"

"What kind of question is that, of course I do." He softly put a hand on her narrow shoulder.

"Then why Nick, why...?"

"Why what?"

"Why don't you ever show it like you do with your other friends?!!" she quickly turned around, tears streaking down her face. Phoenix took a step back, there they were, Maya's tears, the most horrible sight in the world.

"M-Maya, I..." He began but stopped, he didn't really know what he was going to say.

"Do you have any idea how it makes me feel? Seeing how you are with everyone but never with me! I'm the one that wants it the most!!" She was shouting at him, her eyes pleading. He understood perfectly what she was saying, but had no idea she felt this way, he reasoned that what had happened with Iris earlier was the proverbial 'straw that broke the camel's back'. "All you do is pat my head like I'm a dog!! I-It, it makes me feel like I'm nothing to you, you know?! It hurts Nick, it really hurts!" That word, hurt, was like being punched in the gut. The tears, the pain, everything Phoenix had tried to shield Maya from, she was experiencing, and to make it all the worse, he was the cause. He had never felt lower than he did at that moment, tears began to sting his own eyes and he bowed his head, unable to look at her.

"Maya I..., I-I'm sorry I-I had no idea that you felt this way"

"No idea?! No idea!" With the tears still flowing she slapped him as hard as she could in the arm, "I'm in love with you, you know how do you think I felt?!" Her eyes widened when she realised what she said, she covered her mouth as if she could force the words back in, but it was too late. Normally, Phoenix probably would have been embarrassed by this admission, but right now Maya was too angry, too...hurt... for that kind of nonesense.

"Wh-what do you want from me?" He said almost in a whisper.

"I want you to hold onto me like you did in the courtroom at Matt Enguarde's trial. I-I want you to tell me you love me, not just as your hero Mia's little sister, not as your little sister, but as me, Maya!!" Phoenix grimaced for a second. Maya got the hint. "B-But, I don't think you're even capable of that." Still crying, Maya pushed herself past him and went into her room. Phoenix found her with a suitcase thrown unto her bed, she was hastily and angrily shoving items into it.

"Maya, wh-what are you doing?" He asked in a tone befitting a crushed man

"I can't stay here like this anymore! I'm going back to Kurain with Pearly!" Suddenly, she felt her arms pinned to her side. Phoenix had wrapped his around her from behind. Surprised, it took her a moment to register before she let go of the shirt she was holding and raised her hand to stroke his arm. "Nick?" She croaked.

"I'm sorry Maya, I never wanted to do anything to hurt you, but I did and I'm so sorry." He said, nuzzling the side of her face. "I love you, more than anyone or anything else alright? Please forgive me." He squeezed her tight, even tighter than in the courthouse. Maya turned in his embrace so she was looking at him, her tears were drying.

"Oh Nick!!"She squealed and threw her arms around is neck. Phoenix lifted her ninety pound frame off the ground and kissed her. When she pulled away, he could see that the dreaded hurt was gone, there was only happiness on that face. Once again true to form "You're forgiven."

He put her down. "Alright, Nick let's go." She took him by the arm and lead him back out into the office.

"Where are we going?" He asked.

"You said that you were going to take me for burgers remember?"

"Yeah, but..."Maya reached for her jacket.

"And, with these being the first ones you're gonna be buying for me as your girlfriend, I think I'll get the extra large drink and fries too." She giggled. Phoenix sighed and put on his coat. He couldn't deny her anything. If it was an extra large fries and a drink she wanted, she would have it. If she wanted a two hundred dollar DVD collection of a show she already had on DVD, she'd have that too. If she wanted a slightly dim-witted lawyer named Phoenix Wright, he was hers. This delicate creature, whom he loved, was never going to hurt again.

**END**


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